15 JAMstack Resources You Need as a Web Developer

The other day my friend Ray and I were asked about whether our book, "Working with Static Sites", was still relevant for learning the tools today. My answer was essentially that everything would still technically work but that it probably no longer represented the beliefs and best practices of today. Sure, JAMstack was a thing without a name yet at the time, but so much else has changed in the subsequent years beyond just what we call it.

So what resources would I recommend for developers working with the JAMstack today? Let's take a look at resources for everything from getting started to advanced topics to community.

Getting Started

Are you wondering what the heck the JAMstack is? Or have you seen a lot about it and curious where and how to get started? These resources will help.

1. New to JAMstack? Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Obviously, JAMstack.org, which is maintained by Netlify, is a worthwhile starting point, but if you are looking for a more thorough overview of everything from what JAMstack is to how to get started to even how to pitch the JAMstack to your business or clients, this post is invaluable. While it was originally create four years ago, thankfully the folks at Snipcart have kept it up to date.

2. JAMstack WTF

A really well done and comprehensive beginners guide created by Pedro Duarte and featuring information and links to articles and resources.

3. Modern Web Development on the JAMstack

This is the only up-to-date general JAMstack book that I'm aware of (though there are books like Hugo In Action that are specific to a single tool as opposed to the broad ecosystem). It was written by Matt Biilmann, one of Netlify's founders, and Phil Hawksworth, one of their developer advocates, and is made available free via Netlify.

4. Awesome JAMstack

Every worthwhile technology deserves a well-maintained awesome list or everyone will question its legitimacy. Thanks to Vilson Vieira for providing the JAMstack with one.

Ecosystem

So you know what the JAMstack is and are ready to get started, but there are so many tools to choose from. Thankfully there are some good sites that help organize the wide array of tools that make up the JAMstack ecosystem.

5. StaticGen.com

Sure, StaticSiteGenerators.net is the more comprehensive list, but this site, maintained by Netlify, makes the information more digestible, especially since you can filter and sort the list by a variety of criteria.

6. HeadlessCMS.org

In most real-world cases, your JAMstack site will need some sort of content management system so that writers and editors can maintain the content beyond editing flat files. This site, again maintained by Netlify, makes finding one that fits your needs easier.

7. JAMstackThemes.dev

Perhaps, like me, you suck at designing. Or perhaps you simply want a solid head start on your JAMstack site's look and feel. This site, maintained by Stackbit where I am a developer advocate, has over 400 themes filterable by static site generator and CMS.

Digging Deeper

Alright, you're already well into building your first JAMstack site and now you're looking for a way to keep up with new developments, trends and learn advanced techniques. Well, here are some useful sites to get you going.

8. The New Dynamic Newsletter

The New Dynamic website website, maintained by Bud Parr, is a great resource in and of itself, with searchable directories of tools and services, articles, events and more. But the newsletter will ensure that you keep up to date on all the articles, tutorials and other information going on throughout the ecosystem and community.

9. JAMstack on Dev.to and 10. JAMstack on CSS-Tricks

Both Dev.to and CSS-Tricks are two of the best developer resources on the web in their own right, but they've both included a ton of articles on the JAMstack in recent months from a variety of outstanding authors.

The Community

After your initial experiences with the JAMstack, you're now in love with it...because of course you are! You want to get more involved in the community - getting to know folks who contribute to it, helping out others who want to get started. Here are some great resources to do that.

11. The New Dynamic Slack and 12. JAMstack Community Slack

The New Dynamic slack is an extension of the New Dynamic site and newsletter and has been around for some time - enough so that many of the folks who created the tools you'll use are active members and always super helpful. The JAMstack community slack is maintained by Phil Hawksworth and Netlify. While relatively recent, it is growing fast and already offers great opportunities for community discussion.

13. JAMstack Radio and 14. That's My JAMstack

JAMstack Radio, hosted by Brian Douglas, centers on interviews with individuals and companies working in the JAMstack. That's My JAMstack also focuses on interviews but with the goal of understanding people's journey into learning the JAMstack.

15. JAMstack_conf

While there are JAMstack meetups in a number of cities around the world, this is the one major event focused solely on the topic. Hosted by Netlify, the conference has been held in New York, London and San Francisco. The best part for those of us who missed it is that the recent JAMstack_conf_sf has all its sessions recorded and online.